Author Archive

Chloe McConnell

I often run along our bluff tops here in Santa Barbara admiring the ocean and our Channel Islands afar, looking out in hopes I may be so lucky to see one of my favorite ocean friends, the southern California sea otter. Today, I am excited to share with you that for the second time in just over two years, this month a federal judge ruled in our favor to protect the threatened sea otter!

With 18 years of fine-tuning, we are proud to say that the 2016 TGIF season was the most successful yet, ending with a bang at our Fall Feast on October 14th. As the sun set over Santa Barbara, 300 people joined us in our festive downtown courtyard and enjoyed delicious food prepared by Big Easy […]

Last week was Sea Otter Awareness Week and what better way to celebrate our furry friends than U.S District Court Judge John F. Walter upholding the Fish & Wildlife Services’ (FWS) 2012 decision to terminate the “no-otter zone” against a legal challenge from the Pacific Legal Foundation? EDC had intervened in support of the FWS decision on behalf of The Otter Project, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, and itself.

We like to work hard and play hard here at the Environmental Defense Center, and on April 1, we did just that with some of our favorite people. Our amazing volunteers! With over 100 volunteers donating more than 2000 volunteer hours annually, gathering at Santa Barbara Lawn Bowls Club for an evening of fun was one of the ways that we at EDC show how much we value their time and efforts. Whether it is helping at our TGIF events and annual fundraiser, providing office support, helping out at one of our mailing parties, or being outdoors at a creek clean-up or in the EDC garden, our volunteers provide an unparalleled level of assistance that we are so lucky to have.